Extended instep shoe



June 19, 1956 G. A. LYON EXTENDED INSTEP SHOE Filed June 11, 1955 EXTENDED INSTEP SHOE George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 11, 1953, Serial No. 360,862

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-25) This invention relates to foot gear and more particularly to a shoe made of self-sustaining material such as metallic sheet or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a shoe which maintains the heel elevated without the necessity of using a heel.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided a shoe comprising a foot portion having a sole with a forward toe area and a rearward heel area elevated thereabove out of pressure contact with the ground and an upper tubular instep receiving portion connected to the sole at spaced side areas thereof, the upper portion having in front of the heel area a leg receiving upper extension for engaging the front part of the leg of the wearer.

Another feature of the invention relates to forming both the toe and heel areas open above the sole and with the sole covered at substantially only the instep portion of the shoe.

Another feature of the invention relates to forming the shoe from two substantially identical halves which may comprise stampings and which are suitably joined at the longitudinal medial line of the shoe.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing diagrammatically the application of my novel shoe to the foot and leg of a wearer of same;

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the shoe with the strap omitted;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view through the shoe taken on the line III-lII of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing how the shoe can be made of two substantially identical halves with the halves separated and prior to their being joined as by welding or the like.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference character 10 designates generally my shoe which is illustrated in Figure l as being applied to a leg L. This shoe can be made of any thin gauge selfsustaining material such, for example, as metallic sheet and particularly lends itself to manufacture from sheet metal stampings.

The shoe 10, as best shown in Figure 3, includes a sole 11 having exposed toe and heel portions 12 and 13 and an intermediate covered shank portion 14. If it is so desired, the toe and heel portions 12 and 13 of the sole may be provided with a flanged edge 1516. Such edging can be dispensed with, however, by slightly rounding the edges of the toe and heel portions 12 and 13 so that they will not present sharpened or cutting edges.

The only portion of the sole which is covered is the shank area 14 to which is connected an upper hollow extension 17 terminating at its spaced sides in the sole 11.

nited States Patent Patented June 19, 1956 commodate the instep of the wearer of the shoe.

Projecting upwardly and integral with the intermediate instep portion 17 of the shoe 10 is an elongated channelled extension 18 contoured to fit around the front part of the leg of the wearer. Opposite sides 19-19 of the upper end of this channelled portion 18 may be provided with strap receiving holes 20 through which any suitable strap 21 may be inserted for attaching the shoe to the leg L of the wearer as shown in Figure 1.

It will be observed from Figure 2 that the opposite sides 19-19 of the channelled extension 18 comprise curved wings which extend beyond the sides of the sole 11 and which will closely hug the front side of the leg. L.

In Figure 4 I have shown the two halves 10a and 10b which go to make up the complete shoe 10. The two halves 10a and 10b are duplicates and may comprise sheet metal stampings. These oppositely facing sheet metal stampings have longitudinal edges 25-25 which, when abutted, can be suitably welded together to form the completed shoe.

If it is so desired, the sheet metal that is used may be of a resilient type such as steel sheet as long as the material is self-sustaining as to form. In other words, there may be some slight resilient yield in the material but the material must inherently be capable of maintaining the shoe shape described above.

If it is so desired, the upper side of the sole and the inner surface of the tubular portions 17 and 18 may be suitably lined with felt or other material adhered thereto for a cushioned contact with the leg and foot of the wearer; From the foregoing it is clear that in the use of shoes embodying my invention the wearer is supported in an elevated position thereby accentuating the height of the person. In this elevated position the channelled upper extension 18 assists in transferring the weight of the user to the toe area or portion 12 of the sole 11.

A shoe of the foregoing type is thought to be of particular advantage for use in sportswear as on the beach where a high heel is a hazard from the standpoint of becoming broken or severed from the shoe.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an article of manufacture, a shoe made of thin gauge foot sustaining material including a sole having a ground engaging toe portion terminating rearwardly at substantially the ball region and an elevated shank and heel portion out of ground engagement, an upper tubular instep receiving portion connected to said sole at spaced side areas thereof only rearwardly of said toe portion, and a vertically extending upper extension rigidly connected to said tubular portion engageable with the front part of the leg of the wearer, whereby said upper extension when the shoe is attached to the leg of the wearer provides a support for the leg and transmits some of the weight of the body therethrough to the sole portion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a shoe made of thin gauge foot sustaining material including a sole having a ground engaging toe portion terminating rearwardly at substantially the ball region and an elevated shank and heel portion out of ground engagement, an upper tubular instep receiving portion connected to said sole at spaced side areas thereof only rearwardly of said toe portion, and a vertically extending upper extension rigidly connected to said tubular portion engageable with the front part of leg of the wearer, whereby said upper extension when the shoe is attached to the leg of the wearer provides a support for the leg and transmits some of the weight of the body therethrough to the sole portion, said leg receiving portion being channeled and formed with 3 lateral wings for engaging around the front of the leg and 2,249,553 being provided with strap means for detachably strapping 2,424,609 the same to the leg. 2,582,910

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 143,537 Silberschmidt Oct. 7, 1873 4 Cataffo July 15, 1941 Friedmann July 29, 1947 Lyon Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Oct. 13, 1922 

